- Tests so far have used a calorimetric model, not machined on the outside (simple cylinder shape), for simplicity and to ease measurements. The 32-kN engine is a real-scale prototype for the Arion-1 single-stage suborbital launcher.

- Immediate plans call for the test of TEPREL-A, with a 110-s burn time, the same as the nominal first stage burn time of Arion-1.

- TEPREL-B will be the second iteration of the engine, with a 165-s burn time.

- Finally, TEPREL-C, to be tested before next year, will be the qualification version of the real Arion-1 engine.

- First (suborbital) flight of the Arion-1 is expected for NET April 2018, from El Arenosillo (Huelva, Spain). It will demonstrate a 220 km apogee trajectory for a 100 kg payload.

- Orbital launches with Arion-2 would follow in their long-term strategy after that, with first flight pencilled-in for 2021.

The Article is wrong on DLR leading the SMILE project, its NLR (Dutch instead of German, but it's practically the same) And Smile looks to the north not south for a launch site.

In my opinion it is unlikely that one startup company (in Europe) will be able to develop an orbital launcher and be able to offer a service. But PLD Space has one of the best business cases in my opinion.

This financial support from the #EC is currently the biggest public support to PLD Space and one of the biggest European public supports for SMEs. #ARION is strategic for Europe´s Independence and Competitiveness.

With the European Commission, joined to the Spanish Government and to the European Space Agency, @PLD_Space has now the support of the 3 more important European institutions to develop a #Microlauncher. More than 30 private investors has also been joined to #ARION

The company and #ARION has also been supported by European space-related personalities, such as Mr. Franco Malerba, the first Italian astronaut who flew in the Space Shuttle @NASA Mission STS-46 and member of the European Parliament.

"Thanks to this strategical institutional support we are closer to have all the necessary support and resources for a fully commercial launch service dedicated to small payloads in Europe , and be one of the 10 worldwide countries with launch capabilities" - Raúl Torres, CEO.

“This support strengthens the position of PLD Space in the space industry and increases the confidence of private investors. We are now ready to the next step forward in our company, the closing of an A2 investment round of 8 million Euro very soon”. - Raúl Verdú, CBO.